%% %% %% %% %% %% %% Please put the character-specific examples in their respective pages, and the series' exclusive tropes%% in their respective pages. This is only for the series' general tropes.%% %% %% %% %% %% %%[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/street_fighter_logo.png]]

->''[[KamehameHadoken "HADOUKEN!"]]''

''For the Sonny Chiba martial arts series, see Film/TheStreetFighter. For the first game in the series, see VideoGame/StreetFighterI.''

''Street Fighter'' is a long running series of {{fighting game}}s by Creator/{{Capcom}}, that have [[TropeCodifier basically defined]] the genre.

Before ''Street Fighter'', most fighting games were side-scrolling [[BeatEmUp beat 'em ups]] in the style of ''VideoGame/KungFuMaster''. [[UrExample Even the relatively few one-on-one fighters that predated the original]] ''Street Fighter'' had, at most, only a handful of characters (only one or two of them playable), and extremely simplistic controls. ''Street Fighter'' (specifically its first sequel, ''[[SequelDisplacement Street Fighter II: The World Warrior]]'') [[TropeCodifier gave the genre depth]], popularity, and, most importantly, legitimacy. Even modern fighting games cling tightly to the features and tropes innovated by this series.

The series not only has multiple games, but some of them are their own series:

[[index]]* ''VideoGame/{{Street Fighter|I}}'' (the first game; also known as ''Fighting Street'' on the [=TurboGrafx-CD=]) * ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterTheMovie'' (technically two different games, an arcade version and a console version)* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha''* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterEX''* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII''* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV''* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''[[/index]]

In addition to the normal ''Street Fighter'' and ''Alpha'' series, Capcom also released a number of partially-related peripheral series, as an attempt to cash in on its success:

* ''VideoGame/{{Cyberbots}}'': A mecha-themed fighting game that's actually a pseudo sequel to ''VideoGame/ArmoredWarriors'', a ''VideoGame/FinalFight''-style [[BeatEmUp beat 'em up]] featuring the same mechas.* ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'': which uses horror-themed characters, such as vampires, yeti, werewolves, succubi, and even FrankensteinsMonster. * ''VideoGame/XMenChildrenOfTheAtom'' and ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes'': A couple of Creator/MarvelComics licensed fighting games. The former features characters strictly from Comicbook/XMen (plus Akuma, also as a secret GuestFighter); while the latter includes characters from the whole Franchise/MarvelUniverse, such as Comicbook/SpiderMan, Comicbook/CaptainAmerica, and [[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk the Hulk]]. ** This led to the inevitable MassiveMultiplayerCrossover (see VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever for full details), which includes ''X-Men vs. Street Fighter'' (self-explanatory), ''Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter'' (again, self-explanatory), ''Marvel vs. Capcom'' (which now included characters from other Capcom games like VideoGame/MegaMan and VideoGame/CaptainCommando), ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2'' (which introduced even more Capcom characters, including some odd {{original|Generation}} ones like Amingo, the granddaughter of the original Son Son and the pirate Ruby Heart), ''[[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Bandai]] [[VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom × Capcom]]'' (a genre shift to turn-based strategy RPG), ''Creator/{{Tatsunoko|Production}} [[VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom vs. Capcom]]'' (self-explanatory), ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'' (a pair of sequels to ''Namco X Capcom'', which brought Creator/{{Sega}} into the mix in the first and Creator/{{Nintendo}} in the second), and ''Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite''. *** The ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom Capcom vs. SNK]]'' series is an even ''bigger'' MassiveMultiplayerCrossover, featuring characters from two different companies both known for their 2D fighting games. Although, the original ''Capcom vs. SNK'' and its upgraded re-release ''Capcom vs. SNK Pro'' merely consisted of ''Street Fighter'' and ''VideoGame/{{The King of Fighters}}'' characters (with Morrigan from ''Darkstalkers'' and Nakoruru from ''VideoGame/SamuraiShodown''), the sequel ''Capcom vs. SNK 2'' contains a greater range of characters from both companies' fighting game catalog. Later on, Creator/{{SNK}} made their own title, ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''. Unlike the other titles, the roster choices were a bit more... [[UnexpectedCharacter unorthodox]].** ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' and ''Tekken X Street Fighter'' take this a step further, with ''Street Fighter'' characters going up against ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' characters. The collaboration in game development marks the first time ever that we'll see a 2D fighting game series crossing over with a 3D fighting game series.* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXMegaMan'' is more of an [[AscendedFanFic ascended]] ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' fan game, but nonetheless features a roster of ''Street Fighter'' characters as bosses.

The series itself is part of a small SharedUniverse between a few Capcom games including:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFight'', which was originally titled ''Street Fighter '89'' before they realized that the game played nothing like the original ''Street Fighter'' after which they then changed the title.* ''[[VideoGame/SaturdayNightSlamMasters Slam Masters]]'', known as ''Muscle Bomber'' in Japan, a trilogy of wrestling games featuring artwork by Tetsuo Hara (of ''Manga/{{Fist of the North Star}}'' fame) and featuring Haggar of ''Final Fight'' fame. The first two games, ''Saturday Night Slam Masters'' and ''Muscle Bomber Duo'' ([[OddlyNamedSequel the only game to retain its Japanese title in the overseas versions]]) were arcade-style wrestling games with ''Street Fighter''-esque special moves added to the mix, while ''Ring of Destruction: Slam Masters II'' (a.k.a. ''Super Muscle Bomber'') was a ''Super Street Fighter II''-esque fighting game with a wrestling theme.* ''VideoGame/CaptainCommando'', a beat 'em up set in a [[TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture future]] version of [[VideoGame/FinalFight Metro City]] and starring the titular Captain Commando, an early and since abandoned mascot for Capcom. [[note]]The first three letters of both of his names form the name Capcom.[[/note]]* ''VideoGame/RivalSchools'', a series of 3D fighting games featuring Japanese high school students beating the hell out of each other. Sakura had a cameo in the first game as an unlockable GuestFighter and Hinata and Tiffany make background appearances in ''Street Fighter V''.* ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'', a series of platformers featuring a ninja from the titular organization defending a future Earth from terrorists including an intergalactic conqueror. Zeku, who had previously appeared in a single scene in ''Alpha 2'' as the teacher of ''Final Fight'' protagonist Guy, is playable in ''V'' with a look and storyline which heavily suggests he's the founder of the Striders.

In addition to the aforementioned spin-offs, the series also inspired at least three different {{animated adaptation}}s, a little-known live-action Chinese action/comedy adaptation starring PaletteSwap {{Captain Ersatz}}'s of the main characters ''Film/FutureCops'', Japanese manga, plus several toylines (one of which was actually mixed in with ''Franchise/GIJoe''). An officially sanctioned, fan-made short film was released on May 6, 2010 and [[WebVideo/StreetFighterTheLaterYears a parody]] of ''Street Fighter II''. It also had a [[TabletopGames Tabletop RPG]] that used the White Wolf system, better known for angsty gothic horror. There are also several art books, the latest of which was released in August 2014 and titled ''[[Literature/SF25TheArtOfStreetFighter SF 25: The Art of Street Fighter]]''.

The innovations and impact of the ''Street Fighter'' series can never be overstated, as evidenced by the number of [[FollowTheLeader imitators]] and competitors, not to mention its enduring popularity and fame, seen everywhere from an EasterEgg in ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' to Sabin's Blitzes in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''.

Outside of the main series, a confirmed DLC pack for ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has the [[{{Crossover}} title character going up against Ryu, Akuma, and Evil Ryu]] [[spoiler:(and Oni, too)]]. The story in ''Asura's Wrath'' also [[Main/EpilepticTrees provides the]] [[Main/WildMassGuessing possibility that]] ''Street Fighter'' takes place [[spoiler:thousands of years after ''Asura's Wrath''.]] Ryu also appears as a [[DownloadableContent downloadable]] GuestFighter in ''[[VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U]]''.

----!!''Street Fighter'' provides examples of:

* AdaptationalVillainy:** Zangief is easily the most infamous example as he was often depicted as a member of Shadaloo in various [[Film/StreetFighter American]] and [[Anime/StreetFighterIIV Japanese]] adaptations of the series back in the 1990s. The only cinematic adaptation during the '90s that didn't cast Zangief as a villain was ''Anime/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie'' and he just had a cameo fight with Blanka. Fortunately for Zangief, this trend seems to have stopped over the course of the 2000s as later adaptations do depict Zangief as a hero for Russia like how he is in the games.[[note]]Dee Jay was also depicted as a Shadaloo member in the first live action ''Film/StreetFighter'' movie, but unlike Zangief, this was the only time.[[/note]] ''Disney/WreckitRalph'' has him as a "bad guy," but emphasizes that that's just his job in the game, and he's actually a nice guy. ** Sagat was more of a downplayed example of this. Yes, he was a villainous member of Shadaloo, but older and newer adaptations have a strong tendency to play up his role with Shadaloo a lot more than the games did, normally depicting him as someone who has committed various crimes under Shadaloo, while in the games, he is more of a {{noble demon}} who really didn't do much for Shadaloo (especially during the ''Alpha'' series where Sagat really started to play up his noble demon persona). ** Adon has been depicted as a Shadaloo member in certain ''Street Fighter'' manga adaptations. While Adon is indeed quite the ArrogantKungFuGuy, he was never really deemed a villain in the games. * AllThereInTheManual: ** The series actually has a pretty extensive background story, but you'll have to get all the supplementary materials (like the numerous guides by Gamest or Arcadia, as well as Studio Bent Stuff's ''All About'' series) to gather the info. For those without access to Japanese resources or not literate enough at the language to understand them, the Street Fighter Plot Guide has plenty of fan-translated bios from those guides.** UDON released the ''World Warrior Encyclopedia'' in late 2010, featuring character profiles cobbled together from every official source imaginable, no matter how obscure. It essentially collected everything into one handy compendium.* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: While for the most part the cast of the games have plausible skin tones, the series manages to give us a few exceptions: we have green-skinned Blanka, blood-red Hakan,[[note]]which is basically an exaggeration on the results of consistently oiling up in a Mediterranean country[[/note]] yellow-toned Oro, Necro and Twelve that are as white as the snow, [[ThatOneBoss Gill]] who's ''half red, half blue'', no less, Dhalsim who also tends to have some unnatural alternate skin colors like grey or orange among the others, Birdie who has a green color, grey M. Bison, slate-Blue Seth.[[note]]Seth is justified since he's an artificial creation.[[/note]] And let's not get started about the various {{palette swap}}s. * AscendedFanboy: The UDON crew currently handles a huge amount of official Capcom art for many different series, but mainly ''SF'', the primary focus of their collective admiration.* TheBeautifulElite: There is an incredibly exclusive in-series club known as the "International Debutantes Society" [[note]]AKA the "Young Ladies of the World Club"[[/note]] with four of the current cast noted as members. Each member originates from a nation associated with a distinct type of prestige:** Pullum; Saudi Arabia (huge financial wealth)** Blair; Monaco (ritzy exclusivity) ** Julia; England (class, heritage and tradition) ** Karin; Japan (refinement and courtesy) * BigOlEyebrows: Ryu, Ken, Gouken, Zangief and Fei Long.* BloodKnight: The [[KillingIntent Satsui no Hadou/Surge of Murderous Intent]] grants immense fighting power, but ultimately has the user develop a insatiable desire to fight, driving it to wander the world challenging strong fighters to a battle to the death.* BootstrappedTheme: Every character, as early as ''II''. Back then, the music was associated with the stages, not the characters. However, since each character had their own stage, the music effectively extended to them as well. It went to an extent that the ''SFII'' music was remixed into the World Warriors' new stages in ''Alpha'' and ''Alpha 2'', and solidified by the time of ''IV'', with most characters not having a home stage.* CastOfSnowflakes: With time, each character's facial characteristics has become more and more defined, to the point that you could show merely the face, without any other reference, of every character and know exactly who it is. This is especially evident since ''Street Fighter IV''.* CentralTheme: "[[ArcWords The Answer Lies In The Heart of Battle]]". ''Street Fighter's'' most central theme revolves around the spiritual and physiological benefits of martial arts (and combat in general), and how it can imbue life lessons to make one a better person. This is most demonstrated with Ryu. His {{Shadow Archetype}}s (reflections of what he could become) include [[RevengeBeforeReason Sagat, Dan]], [[EvilOverlord M. Bison]] and [[BloodKnight Akuma]], while his [[TheParagon Paragons]] (people who demonstrate what he ''should'' become) are Gouken, Oro and Dhalsim. The metaphysical force that symbolizes this, the Dark Hadou, is loosely described as nothing but the overwhelming desire to win or defeat others ''at any cost''--not fighting for fun or self-improvement. Ryu finally overcomes the Dark Hadou when he realizes this, and focuses his fighting philosophy on always moving forward and improving rather than merely winning. Other characters such as Chun-Li, Guile, Karin and Sagat also learn this lesson, which leads to them becoming better people as well. Also, the theme here is almost meta, because it can be applied to players of the game as well, in particular the infamous {{Scrub}}s and "StopHavingFunGuys" who don't even enjoy playing the game or improving and just want to win at all costs.* ChargedAttack: Both kinds.* CirclingBirdies: And stars and mini-Grim Reapers. They each make their own sound, to boot.* ColorCodedMultiplayer* ComicBookTime: In the early ''Street Fighter II'' games, the characters were given specific birth dates that coincided with the current ages of the characters at the time and the release dates of the games (i.e. Cammy was born on January 1974 and is said to be 19 in ''Super Street Fighter II'', which came out in 1993). As the years went by, it became obvious that Capcom had to age the characters if they wanted to maintain consistency, so they used vaguer dates in the ''Alpha'' and ''III'' series (i.e. Sakura was born on March [[ExtyYearsFromNow 197X]] in ''Alpha 2'') before they finally stopped giving out the years of birth in ''IV''.* CoolHat: ** Bison's CommissarCap.** Cammy and Rolento sport cool berets. ** Yun's cap. ** Q's fedora.** Dhalsim's turban in ''V''.* {{Crossover}}: ** The characters have also appeared in ''[[VideoGame/SuperGemFighter Pocket Fighter]]'', ''Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo'' and ''VideoGame/CapcomFightingEvolution''.** VideoGame/CapcomVsWhatever: A constant staple, with characters from the series having appeared in the three main crossovers (''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'', ''[[VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom Capcom vs. SNK]]'', ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom''), ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', and ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXTekken'' games.** With ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' as well, as stated above.* TheDarkSide: A recurring theme in the series is that there are good reasons and methods for fighting and bad ones:** The most famous example is the Satsui no Hadou, which is used by Akuma and opposed by Ryu and Gouken. It's explained that their fighting style started as an assassination style, and thus each move's true and original form was meant for killing. The Satsui no Hadou occurs when a practitioner of the style gives in to the desire to win at all costs, thus walking a path full of death and destruction.** Bison's Psycho Power is stated to gain its strength from the suffering, fear and hatred of others. Bison himself embodies it and has become something no longer human (if he ever was human). Rose, on the other hand, embodies the good form (Soul Power) and is far weaker, but much kinder and more human (at least in appearance and behavior).** Whatever mysterious power that Charlie Nash channels in ''SFV'' is speculated in-universe to be related to the Satsui no Hadou. Fittingly, Charlie himself has been consumed by a thirst for revenge. * DeathCryEcho: Used ever since the very first game to indicate that a character is down for the count. Since ''IV'', however, the death cry doesn't echo unless it's the match-winning round. * DecompositeCharacter: Akuma and his brother Gouken both started as shout-outs to the fictional character of Sheng Long, who was believed to be Ryu and Ken's master. Akuma appears and defeats Bison, just as Sheng Long was rumored to do. Both inherited moves that Sheng Long was rumored to possess, such as air fireballs, red fireballs, and multi-fireballs. The fake design used in ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' was even used as a basis for Gouken.* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Ryu and Ken used to be identical in almost every aspect gameplay-wise ([[JustifiedTrope justified]] as it was the only way back then to have a pure {{mirror match}}, but from ''Super Street Fighter II'' onward, they both received several changes that made the characters much different from each other (Ryu's refined Hadouken techniques, Ken's different kicks and the Flaming Shoryuken). In ''3rd Strike'', Ken's EX Hurricane Kick hit multiple times and launch the enemy while Ryu's hits once for the normal versions and hits the enemy away while keeping him in place in the EX version (i.e. his Shinku Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku super is downgraded into his EX Tatsu).* DoesNotLikeShoes: Half the cast. Lampshaded in ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'':--> '''Ryu:''' "Shoes? No, I can certainly afford them; I go barefoot for comfort."* DramaPreservingHandicap:** It is retconned in the ''Alpha'' series that Ryu did not defeat Sagat at the first World Warrior competition. Sagat had Ryu utterly beaten before Ryu unleashed the [[SuperPoweredEvilSide Satsui no Hadou]] and sucker-punched Sagat after the match was technically over. All this serves to do is cast doubt on Ryu's status as Sagat's better, so that Sagat can still be technically undefeated.** Bison is retconned in ''Alpha'' to be [[StoryBreakerPower utterly unstoppable]] when at the peak of his powers. Every time he was defeated, it was either without his [[AmplifierArtifact cape]], after the Psycho Drive was destroyed, or while he was occupying an inferior body. Even his death to Akuma was retconned, and Bison remains one of the most insanely powerful characters in the entire series.* EnergyBall: What most of the projectiles amount to. "HADOKEN!"* EnhancedPunch: [[{{Shotoclone}} Ryu and Ken's]] special move, {{Shoryuken}}, is a rising punch enhanced by [[KiAttacks ki]]. Sagat's nasty scar on his chest is caused by taking one of these from Ryu.* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Well, [[ArtifactTitle not... exactly.]]* {{Fanservice}}: Pretty much every female fighter's outfit, with the exception of Makoto (at least assuming you don't have a foot fetish; ''Street Fighter III'' marked the first time Capcom introduced any female barefoot fighters, and Makoto [[DoesNotLikeShoes doesn't like shoes]]).* {{Fireballs}}: The Hadoken is ''not'' one (it's just a [[EnergyBall ball]] of [[PureEnergy ki]]). However, Akuma and Ryu's Shakunetsu Hadoken is one.* FixedFloorFighting* GentleGiant: Happens a few times over the course of the series, or as gentle as these characters get: the running theme that [[SpiritedCompetitor loving the challenge of the fight does not necessarily make you a violent person]]. Judging by in game quotes, Zangief, Hugo, T. Hawk, Honda and Hakan, some of the largest and most physically imposing characters in the series, are all extremely nice, modest, social people who fulfill a "gentle warrior" archetype. Most of them have a LetsFightLikeGentlemen approach to fighting, and are mostly concerned about having fun and a challenge, not hurting people. Sagat also gains shades of this after his HeelFaceTurn, best seen in [[FriendToAllChildren his ending]] from ''Super Street Fighter IV''.* TheGreatestStyle: ** This is PlayedForLaughs concerning Dan Hibiki, who created his own martial art called as "Saikyo Style",[[note]]''Saikyo'' means [[MeaningfulName The Stronger One]] in Japanese.[[/note]] which is all ''but'' powerful.** Ansatsuken is used by [[{{Shotoclone}} Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Gouken, and a few others]]. It is generally shown to be the deadliest martial art in the entire series and the reason why Bison keeps coming after Ryu. It's also why Akuma wants him. The martial art, notably, also produces the Dark Hadou. Sakura and Dan both have a small amount of training in it, which is what makes them dangerous to World Warrior levels. Even if Dan shows a little bit of a good thing is a major bad one.** Karin's Kanzuki-style martial arts is apparently one of the most elite styles. Karin's story mode states that the best techniques of the style are those which are rare even for the heads of the family ([[AuthorityEqualsAssKicking by design, its strongest member]]) to fully master. Amongst its abilities is the skill to defeat enemies with nothing but a Battle Aura, and ([[UnreliableNarrator according to Karin herself]]), the ability to levitate like Dhalsim. It's telling that, on ''Street Fighter V''[='=]s stat chart, Karin is second only to Akuma in technical skill ranking.** Part of the reason why Sagat went so crazy after Ryu's defeat, before it was {{retcon}}ned, is that his Tiger style Muay Thai was considered the greatest in the world with him as its greatest master. Sagat's defeat rebutted this. While not strong to the level of superhuman abilities, Sagat pushed himself after this defeat that while he may not be able to achieve Ansatsuken levels of destruction, his Tiger style is certainly a second best at worst.* HandwrapsOfAwesome: Adon, Akuma, Ibuki, and Sagat. This is [[PlayingWithATrope played with]] by Akuma, as he wraps his ''with rope''.* IconicSequelCharacter: Chun-Li wasn't introduced until ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''. Due to SequelDisplacement, the entire ''Street Fighter II'' cast is better known than the non-holdovers from the first game.* IntercontinuityCrossover: The ''Alpha'' series [[{{Transplant}} brings over]] several characters from the original ''Final Fight'' as playable characters. Namely Cody, Guy, Sodom, Rolento, and Maki. This extends to ''Super Street Fighter IV'' with Cody and Guy and then to ''Ultra Street Fighter IV'' with Rolento, Hugo, and Poison.* InvulnerableAttack: The most infamous example is the {{Shoryuken}}--most versions of which are invulnerable during at least the first few frames of startup. Most characters have at least one invulnerable attack that can be used for reversals. More powerful versions (such as EX or Super variations) may be invulnerable throughout most, or ''all'' of the attack.* KiAttacks: The co-{{TropeNamer|s}} of KamehameHadoken, and one of the most famous examples of this trope. The stable character archetype of ''Street Fighter'', the ShotoClone, is able to throw some sort of energy projectile from their hands. Other characters can use Ki to enhance physical attacks (such as M. Bison's Psycho Crusher or Guile's Somersault/Flash Kick).* LampshadeHanging: A few games make fun of Chun-Li's legs.* {{Leitmotif}}:** Overlaps with BootstrappedTheme. From ''II'' all the way up to ''Alpha 2 Gold'', every character kept their [[AwesomeMusic/StreetFighter easily recognizable themes]] (in the case of the ''Final Fight'' characters, their tunes were based off of stage [=BGM=]s from their debut game, but weren't necessarily the music they were affiliated with in ''FF''). Starting with ''Alpha 3'', they were finally given new themes, although the rival battles in ''IV'' restored the trend.** Subverted in ''Street Fighter III 2nd Impact''. Every character that returned from ''New Generation'', excluding Ken, Sean, and Gill, received a new version of their previous theme, but in ''3rd Strike'', everyone except for Alex and Yun & Yang (who kept [[AwesomeMusic/StreetFighter "Jazzy NYC" and "Crowded Street"]] from the past two installments) were given new themes. In fact, Dudley, Makoto, and Ibuki's themes in ''IV'' are based off of their ''3rd Strike'' themes.* LimitBreak: Several fighters have attacks that can only be done with full super bars.* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: 64, excluding the Arika characters introduced in the ''EX'' series, boosting the number to 82 or the ones from the movie games and ''Mouse Generation'', boosting it to a whopping 89 in this case. And that's not even going into the [=NPCs=]. Or those who never appeared in a video game.* MadLibsDialogue* MindControlDevice: The cyberchips as well as some help from a statue and Bison's Psycho Power in ''Street Fighter II V'' and a machine in ''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie'' also with help from Bison's Psycho Power. Both of these also tie in with...** MindControlEyes: Both Ryu and Chun-Li in the ''Street Fighter II V'' series and Ken in ''Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie''. In each case, all three victims' sclera of the eye turn pink instead of white (more so in ''Street Fighter II V''). This is most likely as a result of Bison's Psycho Power which helped brainwash them.* ModestyShorts: Sakura wears gym shorts under her school uniform. Ditto for Karin in ''Alpha 3'' and Ibuki (in her alternate outfit) in ''Super IV'', only with bike shorts instead.* MonsterModesty: Blanka never wears more than a pair of pants. Considering he wants to be seen as a human being, you'd think he would dress up a bit more.* MusclesAreMeaningless: Played straight and subverted at the same time. Larger and more muscular characters (such as Zangief, Alex and Hugo) [[MusclesAreMeaningful tend to do more damage in single hits]], as well as take more damage or possess SuperArmor. However, smaller characters may deal more damage overall (with combos or more DifficultButAwesome moves). Also, mass and weight do nothing to stop a character from being launched or juggled by smaller characters.* NationalStereotypes: Used with great effect since the series' inception to enhance characterization. ''Most'' characters in the series are designed with classic national archetypes in mind. Some classic examples below are listed by nation:** UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}*** Ryu -- presents the Japanese heroic ideal; [[JapanesePoliteness calm, dignified and humble]].*** E. Honda -- the classic BoisterousBruiser sumo.*** Sakura -- archetypal [[GenkiGirl spirited]], [[PluckyGirl plucky]] {{Joshikousei}}.*** Guy -- the [[NoSenseOfHumor no-nonsense]], calculating {{ninja}}.*** Gouken -- The oft portrayed OldMaster, WarriorTherapist, full of insight and wisdom.** UsefulNotes/{{China}}*** Chun-Li -- the original {{Qipao}}-wearing, [[SheFu acrobatic]] [[AnimeChineseGirl Chinese]] action girl.*** Gen -- the deadly OldMaster kung-fu movie archetype.*** [[UsefulNotes/HongKong Fei Long]] -- a straight-up BruceLeeClone.*** F.A.N.G -- YellowPeril incarnate; the classic kung-fu movie villain. ** UsefulNotes/TheUnitedStates*** Guile -- {{Eagleland}} Type 1 incarnate; the manly, patriotic hero.*** Rufus -- {{Eagleland}} Type 2 incarnate; the obese, mouthy, American idiot.*** Balrog -- same as Rufus to slightly lesser extent, being a brutish, dirty boxer who cares for little more than money and luxury. *** Ken -- very much a mixed example of the above; he's loud, cocky and brash, but also heroic and a NiceGuy at heart.** UsefulNotes/{{Britain}}*** Eagle and Dudley -- both represent the classic QuintessentialBritishGentleman.*** Birdie -- the {{Foil}} to the above; the punkish, anarchic BritishRockstar type.*** Cammy -- the British BondGirl [[ForeignFanservice bombshell]] archetype.** UsefulNotes/{{Russia}}*** Zangief -- the [[MotherRussiaMakesYouStrong enormous, hulking]], [[CossackDance cossack-dancing]] HuskyRusskie.*** Necro (Illya) -- [[RussianGuySuffersMost the tragic, Chernobyl-victim type]]. *** Decapre -- similar to Necro; a tragic victim of experimentation. *** Kolin -- the sexy, [[FemmeFatale dangerous]] SensualSlav, complete with Soviet-era military dress. ** UsefulNotes/{{France}}*** Remy -- the brooding, [[TheFatalist fatalistic]] FrenchJerk, filled with Gallic ennui.*** Abel -- Actually turns the CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkey stereotype on its head, being a courageous, soft spoken, and caring man, but it's his brooding, emo-ish side that is unmistakably French. ** UsefulNotes/{{Brazil}}*** Blanka -- the archetypal BeastMan from the darkest depths of the TheAmazon.*** Laura -- the [[ImpossibleHourglassFigure curvaceous]], {{Stripperiffic}} carnival queen. ** UsefulNotes/{{Italy}}*** Rose -- the smoking hot, [[TheFashionista immaculately dressed]], raven-haired [[LatinLover latina beauty]].*** Vulcano Rosso -- like Rose, suave and stylish, as well as being a VigilanteMan. ** UsefulNotes/{{Mexico}}*** T. Hawk -- the calm, [[MagicalNativeAmerican spiritually-inclined Native American]].*** El Fuerte -- a PintsizedPowerhouse MaskedLuchador, voiced like a pitched-down WesternAnimzation/SpeedyGonzales.** UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}*** Vega -- the [[TheFightingNarcissist prideful]], [[TorosYFlamenco flashy matador]].** UsefulNotes/{{India}}*** Dhalsim -- the [[MartialPacifist peaceful]], Ghandi-inspired Hindu yogi.** UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}*** Menat -- she's practically (ancient) Egypt [[CultureEqualsCostume incarnate]], with a design and costumes that reference classical Egyptian iconography. * NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: The English voice acting in the games and adaptations have a tendency to play with this. If you are from Europe, or to a lesser extent the Americas, you will probably get an accent. If you are from Asia, you most likely will not outside of CallingYourAttacks (except for Dhalsim and Hakan).* NotJustATournament: In ''Street Fighter II'', Bison's holding a tournament to get revenge on the characters who ruined his plans in ''Alpha 3''. In ''Street Fighter IV'', Seth from S.I.N. (Shadaloo Intimidation Network, the weapons division of Shadaloo) holds a tournament to gain data (and Ryu) to complete his BLECE Project, an unknown bioweapon. For the tournament in ''Street Fighter III: New Generation''/''2nd Impact'', The Illuminati is judging people worldwide to see who is fit to live in the new utopian world foretold in their ominous prophecy. Their leader [[MessianicArchetype Gill]] is a WellIntentionedExtremist. * OffModel: Between the Capcom sequels, animated and live action films, and the ArtShift from sprite to 3D model, no one knows what "on model" is supposed to look like anymore.* OnlyKnownByInitials: This only applies to West, in relation to M. Bison (Dictator). No one knows what the "M" stands for in this case. In the Japanese version, M. is simply short for "Mike", as Mike Bison (Boxer) is a thinly-veiled {{Expy}} of Mike Tyson. Other characters who use initials all have known first names (Edmond Honda, Thunder Hawk), codenames (Crimson Viper), or ring names (Rainbow Mika).* PantyShot: Avoided mostly, since Chun-Li has tights and Sakura wears gym shorts underneath.* PassionIsEvil:** The Satsui no Hadou is the surge of violent emotion that originally fueled the Ansatsuken martial art used Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Dan and Gouken. The more fiercely and passionately one fights, the easier it is to become lost to the Satsui no Hadou. According to some sources, merely ''attempting'' to use the Shun Goku Satsu (Raging Demon) forever alters the personality of the user and drives them insane. Akuma is the first and only known person to use it and remain ''some'' lucidity (although not completely unchanged). ** Discussed by Jean Grey in ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]'', when she defeats Akuma.-->"We're more alike than I'd like to admit."** Averted by Gouken, and by extension Ken and Ryu. Gouken created a unique form of Ansatsuken that does not rely on Satsui no Hado, which he taught to Ken and Ryu.* PinballSpinoff: [[Pinball/StreetFighterII See here for more details.]]* PoorCommunicationKills: The typical contrivance to make rivals out of fighters who would otherwise simply fight the tournament. * PromotedToPlayable: Bison and his lieutenants became playable in the second iteration of ''II''.* ProphetEyes: Irises and pupils seem to be optional in the world of ''Street Fighter''. While some characters may have a justification (e.g. Dhalsim's spiritual connections and Bison being fueled with Psycho Power), there's really no good explanation for {{Badass Normal}}s like Sagat and Hakan to have them.* ProWrestlingIsReal: If Zangief, R. Mika, [[SharedUniverse Mike]] [[VideoGame/FinalFight Haggar]], Yamato Nadeshiko, and Azam are any indication, then yeah.* RemixedLevel: Sagat's Buddha statue stage.* RoundhouseKick: Many characters have this as their fierce kick move.* SerialEscalation** The evolution of attacks. Probably started with ''Super Turbo'' and its Super Combos. From there they became multi-level in ''Alpha'' and everyone got multiple super attacks, evolved into Super Arts by ''III'', and then Ultra moves were introduced starting with ''IV''. ** The setting itself also got more and more extreme as time went on. For instance initially the Satsui no Hadou was just described as a dark ki energy that could corrupt a well-meaning fighter if they become too consumed with the thought of victory at any cost. They'd become stronger by relying on it but be less inclined to show mercy or fight honorably. By ''IV'' it is more akin to an evil spirit that can impose its destructive will on a fighter. Evil Ryu was initially just a cocky, somewhat angry fighter in the ''Alpha'' series but ''IV''[='=]s interpretation paints him as a violence-mongering demon that strives to rip his foes to shreds. Oni apparently shows what can happen to someone if they take it all the way and let the Satsui no Hadou use their body as a host and not merely as a supplement to their own power; a far cry from Shin Akuma, which was only Akuma without restraint but still fully in control of his actions.* ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: Two of the central characters, Ryu and Ken, have identical special moves. However, Ryu is geared towards the projectile Hadoken attack while Ken is geared towards the Shoryuken uppercut. Their Super Combos are tailored towards these moves to highlight their preference.* ShoutOut: Refer to the [[ShoutOut/StreetFighter dedicated page]].* SkeletonMotif: The Shadaloo symbol used by Vega/M. Bison is a skull with wings on the sides.* TalkingIsAFreeAction[=/=]TransformationIsAFreeAction:** In ''Street Fighter IV'', activating a Ultra Combo momentarily stops time. Even if the opponent was in the middle of an attack.** The activation animations for supers and the like involve this in general.* TooLongDidntDub:** Most of the attack names after the first few releases of ''II'':** Almost no English voice actor will say "Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku" and simply {{Kiai}} when a HurricaneKick is performed instead.[[note]]This is in spite of the fact that Ken's voice actor, Creator/ReubenLangdon, is actually fluent in Japanese.[[/note]]* TournamentPlay:** This is one of the first video games which was suited for tournament play. Even today, professional tournaments use nearly every ''Street Fighter'' game; check [[http://www.sirlin.net/archive/my-street-fighter-tutorial-videos-from-ccc2/ here]] for some tutorials on advanced ''Street Fighter'' strategy.** The underlying plot of the ''Street Fighter'' world is essentially tournament play: the ''Street Fighter'' tournaments exist to crown the greatest fighter in the world.* WolverinePublicity: ** Ryu and Chun-Li are unquestionably the faces of ''Street Fighter''. They have been in ''every'' crossover project involving the series without exception.[[note]]The only time Chun-Li has been absent from the series since her debut was during the first two ''Street Fighter III'' installments.[[/note]] They've become so ubiquitous that the first footage ever shown of ''Street Fighter V'' features them in battle against each other.** Ken is probably one peg below them, having appeared in every ''Street Fighter'' game (including the two that Chun-Li did not; notable since the original plan was to nix both Ryu and Ken from the ''III'' series entirely) but missing out on a few crossover titles.* WorldsBestWarrior: What the tournaments are (generally) held to find, although sometimes the ones hosting the tournament have ulterior motives. * WorldOfBadass: Every playable character is a martial artist to some extent and four of the five main series iterations revolve around worldwide tournaments. Each and every character being a badass in their own right is to be expected.* WorldOfBuxom: Pretty much every gal in the series has a lot of [[UnusualEuphemism stuff]] above [[AmazonianBeauty those pecs]]. Even the [[TokenMiniMoe younger girls]] are quite well-endowed. Basically, the only flat out exceptions to this are Sakura, Karin, Juni, and Ingrid.* WorldOfHam: [[MemeticMutation OOOOOOOF COOOOOURRRRRRSSSSSSE!!!]]* WorldOfMuscleMen: Especially in ''Street Fighter IV''. [[AmazonianBeauty However, most the women are also jacked as well.]] This is definitely a case of AuthorAppeal on the character designer's behalf, as he's even admitted to liking Chun-Li's muscular trademark thunder thighs.* WorldTour: A trademark of the series. You travel around the world to fight other characters.* YouDontLookLikeYou: You can make a case for this everywhere in the series with the obvious differences between artwork and sprites, but the most evident case of this is in ''IV'', where the in-game models look drastically different than the CGI models used for artwork and bios (for example, Rose's [[http://capcomdatabase.wikia.com/wiki/File:SSFIVRose.png render]] [[ComicBookFantasyCasting has her resemble]] Creator/MonicaBellucci, whereas her in-game model [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VOpwLqXHX0 is more along the line of this]]).----[[AC: [[GoodBadTranslation You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance!]]]]----